title: A case of death after ingestion of an agrochemical spreading agent.
abstract: An agrochemical spreading agent was found near the slightly decomposed corpse of a deceased female. The appearance of the stomach contents suggested that ingestion of a surfactant had occurred before death. The spreading agent was found to contain nonionic nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEO(n)) and anionic sulfonated naphthalene-formaldehyde condensates (SNFC(n)). A solid phase extraction cartridge containing a mixed reversed phase-weak anion exchange sorbent (Oasis WAX, Waters) was used to successfully extract both NPEO(n) and SNFC(n) from the blood. The cartridge was preconditioned with methanol and acetic acid (AcOH). After the dilute blood sample was applied to the cartridge, it was washed with AcOH, and then NPEO(n) and SNFC(n) were eluted with methanol/dichloromethane (7:3, v/v) and 5% NH(3)/80% methanol, respectively. The concentrations of NPEO(n=2-9) and SNFC(n=0) in the blood sample were 7.7μg/mL and 1.8mg/mL, respectively. It is possible that postmortem changes increased the concentration of SNFC(n=0) monomer by breaking down the polymer. However, the behavior of these compounds in the human body is unclear and further case studies are needed to investigate this result.
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Medicine, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan. usui@forensic.med.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Usui
authors.forename: Yoshie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashizaki
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashiyada
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funayama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005026:Ethylene Glycols / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D005026:Ethylene Glycols; D009281:Naphthalenes; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D005557:Formaldehyde; C031721:naphthalene; C021754:terics